Vehicle identification numbers (VINs) are common mechanisms for identifying vehicles both in the U.S. and internationally. Generally, a VIN is a unique alphanumeric character sequence assigned to each new vehicle by its manufacturer. Conventionally, the VIN is etched onto a metal VIN plate and subsequently attached to the dashboard and/or to other parts of the vehicle, such as the engine block or rear axle. These VIN plates are useful for determining if vehicles are properly registered and also for locating and returning stolen vehicles.
VIN plates, however, may be limited in a number of respects. For example, a metal VIN plate can be removed and illegally reapplied to another vehicle by thieves or counterfeiters. Additionally, manufacturing the VIN plates with embossed or permanently formed identifiers may be expensive and/or labor intensive. Some paper or plastic VIN labels have been proposed, although conventional printed labels identifiers are easily counterfeited.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for identifying a vehicle label that is tamper-resistant, cost effective, and not subject to being counterfeited. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.